Drinking Cow Milk

This morning we didn't have enough formula for a bottle... so Nico immediately became weaned off the formula and bottles and started drinking cow milk. So far, so good!

And a little video:

The Things He Says #74

A couple of weeks ago, we were headed to the Five Guys Burgers and Fries to eat burgers. As we passed McDonald's, Benji tells us to pull in there, because that's the burger restaurant.

So the conversation began:
F: No, we are not going to that restaurant. We are going to THE burger restaurant, next to the pizza restaurant.
B: Next to the smokehouse restaurant?
F: .............................. what?
B: the smokehouse restaurant!

Remembering that they did open a Shane's Rib Shack next to the Five Guys, I look at Norm and ask him if he's taken Benji to Shane's. He says no, and quickly reminds me that he doesn't even like Shane's.

We were confused... so how did Benji even know that Shane's was there and that it was a smokehouse.... So I asked him.

F: How do you know that's a smokehouse restaurant?
N: it has little house and smoke comes out of it

Well yes, yes it does son. You are too intelligent to be 3 years old.

This is all he saw, and he figured it out:

Dear Benjamin the Three Year Old

Dear Benjamin,

Today you are turning three years old and according to everything I am finding on the internet, you are no longer a toddler and you are now a pre-schooler. Seems like you already know this, because when I refer to you as “baby”, you quickly correct me by saying “I no a baby! Nico a baby! I a child!” And according to you, now that you are 3, you are a “growm up”

Oh Benjamin. Our family consisted of just your dad and I (and Pellet and Cali) for so long and then you surprised us. It still seems so surreal that we now have this new life that is full of laughter, cries, squeezes, poop, trucks, rocks, cars, emergency vehicles, car seats, character cups, emergency bathroom runs, bruises, stickers, whistles, cuddles, story times, etc. These last three years have been so much more intense and in a way more fulfilling than all those eleven prior.

You teach your dad and me so much about ourselves and provide plenty of opportunities for us to grow as parents and as individuals. You are one determined, independent, strong-willed child, which makes everything so intense. But you also have a sweet and shy heart. By now, I am pretty much able to figure out when you are crying for attention and when you are legitimately crying because you are hurt or scared. I can tell the level of happiness that you are feeling just by looking at your eyes. Seeing you cry breaks my heart, especially when you are crying because you are being a 3-year old and we are being the parents. You always get me good when you stop crying and say “my tears went away. I make you happy now?”

You are smart. Boy are you so smart. You are intelligent. You have a fantastic memory and are able to tell us pretty much the location of each of your toys at the drop of a hat. You grasp even the tiniest details. The way your brain functions blows my mind. For example, you specifically asked us to invite a little boy from your class to your birthday party here at the house. Once I agreed to invite him, you said “his mommy too”, of course I said his mom would come too. And then you said “his mommy handsome, she come to party too”.

You surely inherited both your dad’s and my recessive genes when it comes to negotiating. When we say “pick 2 cars to bring along” you quickly, and by quickly I mean within one second of us finishing the word “along”, you reply “no, 5” so then it starts “pick 2” “I piiiiiiiiiick 3” and of course you end up picking 2 and we move on. You are willing to negotiate everything, from the number of books at bedtime, to the number of bites of whatever you are eating that may not be your favorite, to how long you get to stay outside.

You’ve learned to ask for permission to watch videos on the phone. For the longest time, you’d ask for the phone to look at pictures. Which you would. For a bit. And then you’d quickly find that YouTube Kids app and launch whatever PAW Patrol or PJ Mask video you first saw. Now, you still ask for the phone to watch pictures – because you love watching pictures and you know how to make the iPhone do those stories, which I still can’t figure out. But after a little while, you come and find us and say “I watch bideo please?” So then we talk about how long you will watch “you can watch videos until it’s time for breakfast (or time to get in the car, or go downstairs, etc.)”. And once you agree, then we turn it on.

Music is your favorite. You love your Monday music class at school and have learned all sorts of fun stuff like playing the drums, the tambourine, the music spoons and the triangle. You can’t be in the car without listening to Nico’s Kindermusik. You ask for specific songs that you like, and you know those by heart. It only takes playing the song one or two times for you to learn the words. You sing throughout the day and you make up words to familiar tunes. Sometimes you even make up tunes. When "Plablo" comes and plays the piano, you sit right there with him and play along. We have all sorts of music shakers all over the house, seems like you always need to have one nearby to make music. The moment your dad's Spotify playlist comes on with his beach music and jazzy tunes, you start dancing!

You are turning out to be an awesome big brother. I could sit and watch for hours the way you and Nico make each other laugh, or the way you play in the tunnel or in your tent. When he is getting into something he’s not supposed to, you quickly yell “no ma’am Nico! No ma’am” (I’m convinced that there must be a little girl at your school that’s constantly being told “no ma’am” by your teachers). Of course more often than not, you decide to hog all the toys, but you are slowly learning to share with him, or like you say “share to him”.

Happy Birthday, Monkey Monks. I can’t believe you have been part of our family for only three years and already three years, both at once. I love you so much more than whatever I can capture on this post.

I love you always,

Mami

Water Time

It's Masters Week again in Augusta and Norm has been working some obnoxious hours. This year we are getting to see him in the middle of the day, but he still comes home past midnight and is out of the door by 5:30am the next morning. 

Due to having gallbladder surgery still not long ago, my mom has been helping me with bedtime. Mainly because I am still not supposed to bend over much or lift heavy things (aka Benjamin. Although that Nico is no feather). 

Usually for bedtime, I'll bathe Nico in his little tub and Norm will bathe Benji in the big tub. Today, however, mainly due to exhaustion and in order to save time, my mom and I got brave and decided to get them both in the bath. It was great! 

This still has to be a two-person job because Nico is not stable yet. And once he comes out of the water he is still a bit high maintenance. I can't just dry him off and put his pj's right there (while keeping an eye on Benji).

The day is near though... it is quite near!